Butler County Republican Party fails to endorse candidates

Getting the Butler County Republican Party’s nomination may be harder than it seems.

Dec. 1, the Butler County Republican Party did not endorse any local candidate running in next year’s election, including current county commissioner Charles Furmon and current Clerk of Courts Mary Swain.

The election was the first endorsement election for the 2012 ballot, according to Executive of Party David Kern

According to Kern, candidates were not endorsed because none got the 60 percent required majority.

“It shows that we got a stable of qualified candidates who would like to have the job. We’ve got several,” Kern said.

Basically, the failure of any candidate to be endorsed leaves out the subsequent elections, according to Kern. He noted that the decision will be made at the primary elections. The party itself is still solid, according to Kern.

“We are on an upward path. I would not try to read into this that it’s falling apart,” Kern said.

“I think it is more because they don’t see those leaders as able to get the job done,” Miami University College Republicans co-chair Briana Sakach said.

Candidates have been left unendorsed before and there have been three races in particular where candidates were not endorsed, according to Kern.

It is not uncommon for a candidate to not be endorsed, according to Butler County Republican Party office assistant manager Amy Sanders.

“It is difficult to have a race where 60 percent is endorsed,” Kern said.